Battle of the Books

About

Battle of the Books is a national reading incentive program sponsored by Silver Oak PTO that our students have participated in since 2012. Silver Oak students who will be in grades 3-6 in fall are invited to challenge themselves and join the fun! 

Book lists are published at the end of each school year so students can begin reading over the summer.  In the fall, 3rd-6th graders that choose to participate will form teams and compete in a game show style venue where two teams face off at a time to answer questions related to any of the stories on their list. There is no cost to participate in this program and all Battle of the Books are available in the Silver Oak Library.

Competition takes place in October and November. The top two teams for each grade level meet in the Championship Competition to see which 3rd/4th grade and 5th/6th grade teams win the BATTLE OF THE BOOKS!

Eligibility and Team Formation

• The competition is open to students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.

• Each team must consist of four to six students from the same grade level.

• Students will form their own teams and submit team names along with the names of their team members.

Match Structure and Rules

• Each match will have a questioner and a timekeeper/judge. The judge will keep track of the score on the score sheet. 

• Teams are responsible for reading the assigned books listed on the website.

• A match will consist of 24 questions. In the event of a tie, three additional questions will be asked to determine the winner.

Question Format

• Questions will alternate between teams.

  • For example, Team 1 will receive the first question. If Team 1 cannot answer, Team 2 may attempt to answer.

  • If Team 1 answers correctly, the next question will go to Team 2.

Answering Rules

• The team member holding the buzzer must answer the question. The buzzer will rotate to the next teammate after each question.

• Teams must wait until the question is fully read before answering.

• Teams have 30 seconds to confer and answer the question. If unanswered, the opposing team has 5 seconds to respond.

Scoring

• 1 point will be awarded for each correct book title.

• 1 extra point may be earned if the original team correctly provides the author’s last name.

• If the opposing team answers a passed-over question correctly, they will not earn the extra point for providing the author’s name.

Additional Rules

• All students must remain seated during the match.

• All judges' decisions are final.

Sportsmanship and Behavior Expectations

• All participants are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship throughout the competition.

• Teams should be respectful to their opponents, judges, and teammates, regardless of the outcome of a match.

• Cheering for other teams and showing encouragement is encouraged. Negative comments, poor behavior, or unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated.

• If a student or team displays inappropriate behavior, the judges may issue a warning or disqualify the team from the competition.

Competition Rounds for Grade Levels

Bracket Selection

• At the first meeting, students will randomly select a number from a hat to determine their placement in the double-elimination bracket.

Double-Elimination Bracket Overview

• Format: A team must lose twice to be eliminated from the competition.

• Bracket Structure:

  • There are two brackets: a Winners' (W) Bracket and a Losers' (L) Bracket.

  • All teams start in the W Bracket for the first round.

  • Teams that lose in the W Bracket move to the L Bracket.

  • Teams that lose in the L Bracket are eliminated.

  • Winners from the L Bracket will play the remaining W Bracket team to determine the overall grade-level champion.

Grand Finals for Each Grade Level

• The last remaining team in the L Bracket will face the undefeated W Bracket team in the Grand Finals.

Handling Odd Numbers of Teams

• If there is an odd number of teams, the team assigned the first seed will receive a bye into the second round and will face the winner of the first match.

School Championship

• Each grade level will crown a Silver Oak BOB Grand Finals Grade Level champion, who will advance to the Silver Oak BOB School Championship.

• Matchups

  • The 3rd-grade Grand Finals champion will compete against the 4th-grade Grand Finals champion.

  • The 5th-grade Grand Finals champion will compete against the 6th-grade Grand Finals champion.

• The School Championship will take place during an assembly in front of the student body.

Awards and Recognition

The overall winning team will win the title of Silver Oak BOB Champions and a gift certificate.

2024 Battle of the Books Teams

Meet the teams and students participating in the 2024 Battle of the Books competition.

2024 - 2025 Reading Lists

Get ready for the 2024-25 Battle of the Books! We're thrilled to announce this year's reading lists for grades 3-4 and 5-6. Dive into a summer of exciting adventures. Start reading the books now and keep going all summer long. You can borrow them from our school library or check them out from the San Jose Public Library. The Battle of the Books is a fun, voluntary program where students can test their knowledge against classmates. It's a fantastic way to explore a variety of genres, improve reading skills, and prepare for the competition in the fall. This program is sponsored by the Silver Oak PTO and encourages students to read books that are just right for their grade level. Here are the two lists for grades 3-4 and grades 5-6.  Happy reading!

Print Book List

Book List 3-4 Grades 2024-25

Book List 5-6 Grades 2024-25